Bill-of-fare indicator.



No. 646,026. Patented Mar. 27, I900. F. A. HERTZER.

BILL OF FARE INDICATOR.

(Application filed Sept. 14, 1899.)

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' NTE TATES- BlLL-OF-FARE INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,026, dated March 27, 1960. Application filed $eptember 14, 1899. Serial No. 730,451. (No model.)

One object of the present invention is to improve the construction of bill-of-fare indicators and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one adapted for use in hotels, restaurants, dining-rooms, and the like and capable of enabling the dishes ordered to be readily designated, so that there will be no mistake in an order.

A further object of the invention is to enable the dishes or articles on a bill of fare to be readity changed or removed to avoid the confusion often resulting from a bill of fare containing dishes out of season or otherwise unattainable and to obviate the necessity of writing on a bill of fare dishes appearing for a short time.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a bill-of-fare indicator constructedin accord- Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the indicating devices.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a frame or casing constructed of suitable material, such as aluminium or the like, and receiving a back or plate 2 and forming with the same the body of the indicator. The frame or casing which is arranged around the edges of the back or plate 2 is provided with a central longitudinal bar or portion 3, located equidistant of the side portions 4 and 5 and forming openings for the reception of cards 6. The side and central portions of the frame orcasing are ofiset from the back or plate 2 by longitudinal strips 7, 8, and 9 to form recesses for the reception of the cards 6. The longitudinal strips 8 and 9 terminate short of the adjacent edges 10 and 11 of the portions 3 and 4 of the frame or casing to provide grooves to receive one end of the cards, and the other end of each card is engaged by a pivoted button or locking device 12, mounted on the frame or casing and adapted to project over the card-receiving recesses, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The cards which are designed to bear the names of the various dishes constituting the bill of fare are arranged in the recesses of the body of the indicator, one end of each card being interlocked with the adjacent groove and its other end being engaged by the adjacent locking device 12. The locking devices 12, which are arranged at intervals on the central and side portions 3 and 5 of the frame or casing, are substantially L- shaped, one of the arms being adapted to pro ject over the card-receiving recesses of the body of the indicator. In practice a stamping or printing outfit will accompany each indicator, so that various cards may be prepared as may be found necessary or desirable, and it will be apparent that as the cards are detachably secured within the recesses of the body of the indicator theymay be readily changed or they can be simply reversed to leave a blank space at that point on the indicator.

Opposite the left-hand end of each card 6 is arranged an indicating device 13, which is provided with a pointer 14, consisting of a plate having an arrow-head at one end and a lug or projection 15 at the other end to engage the body of the bill of fare and retain the indicating device in the proper position. The pointer 14 is adapted to be rotated a quarter of a revolution to arrange it longitudinally of the bill of fare and to extend it transversely thereof, so that the arrow-head will point in the direction of the adjacent card and indicate that such dish or article has been ordered. The indicator is retained in such position by the lug 15, which is adapted to interlock with recesses or sockets l6 and 17, formed by openings or slots of the frame or casing. The pointer 14 of the indicating device is provided with a handle 18, consisting of a tube or barrel and receiving a coiled spring 19, which retains the lug firmly in engageinent with the recesses or sockets. The coiled spring 19 is mounted on a stem or pivot 20 and is interposed between the pointer 14: and a head 21 at the outer end of the pivot. The pivot 20, which passes through a perforation of the pointer 14, is suitably secured to the body of the indicator. The head 21, which is round, projects beyond the tubular handle 18, and the latter is adapted to be readily grasped to operate the indicating device, and it enables the lug to be readily disengaged by either of the recesses or sockets 16 and 17 when it is desired to partially rotate the pointer to turn the same to or from the adjacent card. The indicating devices 13, which are readily operated, enable an order to be quickly taken without liability of making any mistake in the dishes thereof.

It will be seen that the bill-of-fare indicator is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is easily operated, and that it is capable of enabling the dishes of an order to be readily designated. It will also be apparent that the cards bearing the names of the dishes may be readily changed or the cards may be reversed to present a blank space.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What is claimed is- 1. An indicator of the class described comprising a body having a card-receiving recess provided at one side with a longitudinal groove adapted to engage one end of each card, a series of locking devices pivotally mounted at the opposite side of the recess and adapted to extend over the same to engage the other end of each card, whereby the said cards will be detachably mounted on the body, and a series of yieldingly-mounted indicating devices pivoted between their ends for engaging the body, whereby they are locked against movement, substantially as described.

2. An indicator of the class described comprising a body, a pointer arranged flat against the body and detachably interlocked therewith, said pointer being provided with a tubular handle and having a perforation located at the inner end of the handle and of less diameter than the same, a spring housed within the handle and engaging the pointer and adapted to force the same against the body, and a pivot fixed to the body and arranged within the handle and passing through the perforation, said pivot being provided at its outer end with a head of the same diameter as the interior of the handle to form a bearing for the outer end of the spring, substantially as described.

3. An indicator of the class described comprising a body having a recess adapted to receive a series of cards and provided at one side with a longitudinal groove arranged to engage one end of each card, a series of movable locking devices mounted on the body at the opposite sides of the recess and extending over the latter to engage the other end of each card, whereby the said cards may be readily changed, and a series of movable indicating devices mounted on the body adjacent to the longitudinal groove and adapted to extend toward and from the cards, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRITZ AUGUST HERTZER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE PFEIFER, JOHN WErToN. 

